Planet in Peril Video Topics
1. Greenland is Melting/Discovering Islands
Ice is melting due to increased temperatures cause by increased CO2 on the atmosphere. because of melting new islands are being formed.Positive feedback loop- Where melted water absorbs heat which causes more ice to melt. Moulin- crevices where melt water has been running cutting into the ice. Temperature has increased about 8 degrees in the last 10 years.
2. Polar Bears at Risk
Polar bears are the first animal to be put on the endangered species list due to global warming. They are put on because of their predicted population in the future. With less food the polar bears are getting smaller. Polar bears are drowining because they have to try to swim a distance of 200 miles when it was 10-15 miles. In 2007 1,illion square miles of sea ice were lost.
3. The Carterets are Sinking
Near Papua New Guinea. Theories for its sinking- sea levels rising, dieing coral, or it being on a volcanoe and it collapsing on itself. Coral is relesing algae due to increased temperature and is dying. Ocean levels are rising because of inncreased heat called "thermal expansion."
4. Lake Chad is Disappearing
6th largest lake in the world. In the last 40 years it has shrunk by 90%. This is due to climate change and drought. The lack of water is cuasing the fish to be less plentiful and less healthy. This makes people less healthy. Millions of people live in this area and depend on the lake. Their is a committee that wants to divert water from the congo so that it can replenish lake Chad. (This is very controversal though.)
5. Global Warming-Crisis or Hype
Rep. Sen. James Inhofe from Oklahoma- strongly opposes global warming. (He says it is a hoax.) He gets funds from the oil industries. IPCC said with 90% certainty in 2007 that humans are the cause of global warming.
6. The Amazon's Protection Force
Ibama is a group that protects the rainforest. They try to find people who are cutting down trees and illegaly killing animals. their job is hard because the forests are so big and their is too few Ibama workers. small subsistence farmers will cut down areas of land for small farms slowly taking out larger areas of forest.
7. Killing Sister Dorathy Stang
Sister Dorathy Stang tried to teach the people of the area to live off of the land to protect it. Logging and ranching companies hated her. they sent out people to kill her thinking that it would get better. this backfired because her death brought more rules and regulations.
8. Journey to the Kraho Indians
These Indians are living in the Amazon. They have to use the resources to survive. It the forest disappears then they disappear. The area is a huge produer of beef and soy in the world.
9. Environmental Racism
White people have more of a chance that they won't live in an area strongly affected by pollution. 56% greater chance of getting cancer within a few mile radius. No laws are being broken, but it i still harming people.
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